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Consumer-Driven Plans Gain in Popularity

CDHPs are the second most prevalent plan offered by U.S. employers

#Stephen Miller, CEBS

By Stephen Miller, CEBSOct 11, 2013

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In an effort to rein in health care costs and encourage employees to take greater responsibility for their health, a growing number of employers are offering consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) linked to a health savings account (HSA) or to a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), according to new research from Aon Hewitt. CDHPs have become the second most prevalent plan offered, after preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and could potentially surpass PPOs as the most common plan type in the next three to five years.

“Employers are increasingly embracing plan designs that are cost-effective, promote consumer choice and accountability, and encourage employees to be more deliberate in how they spend their health care dollars,” said Aon Hewitt Senior Vice President Maureen Fay.

Promoting Enrollment

To encourage employees to enroll in CDHPs, organizations are using a variety of tactics, including:

Subsidizing premiums at a higher level than they do for other plan options (44 percent of respondents).

More employers are also covering preventive medicines before the deductible applies, but this solution is available only to CDHPs linked to an HRA. That's because HSAs are not permitted to cover medications for chronic conditions until the worker meets the health plan's deductible.

Driving Behavior Change

In separate research reported in Aon Hewitt’s2013 Consumer Health Mindset Survey, a little over three-quarters of consumers enrolled in a CDHP said they were satisfied with their plan choice, and 89 percent said they planned to re-enroll.

Of those employees who had been in a CDHP for more than two years, 97 percent planned to re-enroll, indicating that satisfaction with this plan rose over time.

In addition, the study showed a correlation between participation in a CDHP and making more-informed health decisions:

Sixty percent of employees who were enrolled in CDHPs said they made positive behavior changes related to their health.

Twenty-eight percent said they received routine preventive care more often.